INEC Raises Alarm Over Fake Publication on Governorship Candidates in Six States, Urges Public to Disregard

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has alerted Nigerians to a fraudulent publication circulating online and falsely presented as a special announcement by the Commission concerning governorship candidates in six states.

The electoral umpire identified the affected states as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano, warning members of the public against believing or sharing the misleading information.

In a public notice, INEC categorically disowned the publication, stressing that it did not originate from the Commission and should be treated as fake.

The Commission also dismissed claims suggesting that it had issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the six states, describing such information as false and urging Nigerians to exercise caution when consuming electoral news online.

INEC expressed concern over the circulation of fraudulent information capable of misleading the public, particularly on matters relating to electoral processes and political candidates.

To prevent the spread of misinformation, the Commission advised Nigerians to obtain electoral updates exclusively from its verified communication platforms, including its official website, inecnigeria.org, Facebook page, INEC Nigeria, and its social media handles on X and Instagram, @inecnigeria.

The Commission also directed members of the public to its official news portal, inecnews.com, for authentic announcements, press releases and other election-related information.

INEC further urged Nigerians to verify the authenticity of electoral publications before sharing them, warning that unverified information could create confusion and mislead citizens about the Commission’s activities.

For enquiries and further clarification, the Commission provided the following official contact channels: its call centre at 0700-CALL-INEC (0700-2255-4632), short code 4632, and telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629. Members of the public can also send enquiries to iccc@inec.gov.ng or visit the Commission’s official website and news portal.

Reaffirming its commitment to keeping Nigerians accurately informed, INEC urged the public to disregard the fraudulent publication and rely only on information disseminated through its verified communication channels.

The warning underscores the importance of information verification as electoral matters continue to attract public attention, with the Commission urging citizens to remain vigilant against false announcements circulated through digital platforms.